Supporting the National League of Cities' Leading Together Cities Agenda for the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election.

WHEREAS, The 2020 presidential election will be historic in scope, consequence and in determining the future direction of intergovernmental relations in the United States; and

WHEREAS, The next President will be tasked with governing more than 330 million Americans; and

WHEREAS, Philadelphia is home to 1,584,138 of those Americans and is one of the 19,000 municipalities represented by the National League of Cities (“NLC”); and

WHEREAS, NLC has launched its Leading Together 2020 Cities Agenda in advance of the upcoming presidential election, which was created by a bipartisan task force composed of 28 local leaders from around the country; and

WHEREAS, The 2020 Cities Agenda lays out four broad priorities that candidates for President of the United States should commit to approaching with a spirit of respect, partnership, inclusion, and accountability prior to seeking the endorsement of local leaders; and

WHEREAS, The first priority is building sustainable infrastructure, because much of our nation’s infrastructure is in need of repair, improvement and modernization to meet the demands of the 21st century, and because by investing strategically, we can ensure that America’s infrastructure will support a stronger economy and withstand extreme weather events; and

WHEREAS, The second priority is creating a skilled workforce, because investing in the American workforce is critical to protecting and expanding our nation’s economic success and ensuring that all people have opportunities to thrive. Because of the diversity of local economies, the federal government needs to empower local workforce solutions, streamline federal funding, and drive new resources to proven approaches in our communities; and

WHEREAS, The third priority is ending housing instability and homelessness, because housing costs continue to climb in diverse communities across the country, leaving millions of individuals and families without enough money for food, transportation, and other basic needs, and because the growing imbalance of housing supply and demand is putting affordable housing and homeownership out of reach for too many, while undermining economic success at all levels. This crisis is overwhelming cities and service providers working at the intersection of mental health, substance use disorder, and homelessness. Effective local responses require multi-sector partnerships and a strong federal partner; and

WHEREAS, The fourth and final priority is reducing gun violence, because as local elected officials, we are charged with keeping our communities safe, and because every day, 100 Americans die because of gun violence and hundreds more are shot and injured. It is time for the nation’s elected leaders to work together at all levels to address this crisis by advancing commonsense solutions to protect our communities and our children while ensuring that law-abiding residents maintain their Second Amendment rights; and

WHEREAS, The 2020 Cities Agenda reflects local leaders’ strong understanding of Americans’ top priorities and concerns, and represents an agenda for a strong, safe and fair nation; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Philadelphia, Supports the 2020 Cities Agenda created by National League of Cities.

FURTHER RESOLVED, That Philadelphia urges all candidates running for President to support the 2020 Cities Agenda.

FURTHER RESOLVED, That engrossed copies of this Resolution and the 2020 Cities Agenda be forwarded to the campaigns of each candidate running for the office of the President, as evidence of the sincere sentiment of this legislative body.

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